


an introduction

by sweetpandemonium



Series: my heart (is safe with you) [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alpha!Alec, Awkward Writing Style, Gen, M/M, NOT TECHNICALLY A FIC, Omega!Magnus, Worldbuilding, a/b/o au, bc we deserve it, lots of shit coming up, you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-10-17 13:38:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10595112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetpandemonium/pseuds/sweetpandemonium
Summary: Okay, I haven't really found any concrete boundaries/rules on exactly how the a/b/o universe works, it always varies and changes fic to fic, so here's the worldbuilding on how the shit in mine works. Once I start posting this series, it will also contain the timeline.Read inside for more information. Will be updated as series is.





	1. worldbuilding

**Author's Note:**

> As I said in the summary, I never really found a bold line saying "this is how this works" so I made one. No one else is obligated to write within it, of course, but this is how my a/b/o world is gonna work. 
> 
> If you're one of those people who really hates a/b/o aus, or you're against the idea of Alec not being the omega, or whatever-feel free to just click away. I don't need a comment telling me I'm wrong for writing this. If you don't enjoy it, then take your eyes elsewhere. Thank you!
> 
> Obviously, the characters/settings/universe do not belong to me, and neither does the original idea for the a/b/o universe. All credit to their rightful owners.

**Alphas**

Male alphas have knots. Female alphas aren’t common, but not necessarily unusual. Alphas have ruts, similar to heats- they have the insatiable need to mate, etc. They _can_ control themselves, but it’s a hell of a lot harder (pun fully intended) and makes them more impulsive and shit. It’s more like a buildup of arousal/need for release with increased stamina and shit than anything. Without said release, it can get painful. However, masturbation is a perfectly acceptable is disappointing way to get through it.

 

**Betas**

Pretty much “normal” human beings, no extra traits or biological oddities, no specific scent to their secondary gender- in fact, it’s almost the lack of a secondary gender. They have the same advanced sense of smell, but that’s it. Females can get pregnant, males can’t, etc. They work like we do, for the most part. They make up a large percentage of the population.

 

**Omegas**

Much like female alphas, male omegas aren’t common, but not really uncommon either. Male omegas can get pregnant as well, although only during a heat, where hormones and shit are all fucked up and boosted (and usually only an alpha could knock them up, but not necessarily). It’s very hard and unhealthy to repress heats, although for younger omegas who aren’t ready for sex yet (or like, asexual people, maybe? it’s like a biological instinct kind of thing, so really it’s not necessarily just children, just usually) a pack scent- family, close friends with a strong platonic bond- can go a long way to help with the effects. This can also apply to older omegas, but it wouldn’t work nearly as well. Without a mate or toys or something, heats are pretty painful. It’s like a sickness if left long enough- heat rolling through the body, fevers/chills, mood swings, nausea, cramps. Unless they can mate with someone- ideally an alpha or a chosen mate with a close emotional bond- it would progress until eventually passing over like a sickness might. However, if you could mate with someone, each touch would soothe it, the effects would go away, slick would be produced (omega self-lubrication), and there’s of the course the side effects of being a bit needy and _very_ horny, if you’ve read any a/b/o fics you probably already know what I mean. This can affect various omegas differently- some might tackle their partner and be like “k times to fuck u” while another might be like “okay so time to fuck _me”_.  While heat sex is a thousand times more hot and sensitive and _awesome,_ it’s also more dangerous and requires an immense amount of trust- and ideally, love- to be with a person in such a vulnerable state. In addition: while heats and ruts affect people very strongly, they will never seek out family, such as brothers, sisters, or whoever they might consider close, _platonic_ friends.

Knotting is a big deal and requires a lot of trust. While it’s not really necessary, some like to do it for just pleasure, or possibly to have a better chance at trying for kids. (Anyone can take a knot, omega or otherwise.) It is, however, usually considered a pretty intimate act, especially as it literally ties the two participants together temporarily.

Scent blockers/suppressants are a thing. Not everyone uses them, but some people do. (This goes for alpha  _and_ omega, as betas don't need it.) Heat/rut suppressants can lessen the symptoms, although not completely take them away. Scent-blockers do exactly what it sounds like- the cheap drugstore ones don't do a good job, but the nicer ones can completely get rid of someone's scent. (Not to be used in the place of deodorant!) Other forms of suppressant, are specifically designed to hide one's secondary gender for one reason or another- plenty of people do this, believing it should be a private thing- include scent-blockers and special suppressants- ones that might prevent a knot from forming, or slick, or whatever gender-specific biology quirk applies. (On a note that probably won't be addressed in the fic but I've honestly always wondered about: such suppressants might be popular in transgender people, whom I assume also exist in the secondary-gender basis. Ouch, imagine the dysphoria! It's bad enough without adding a/b/o into the game, I wouldn't want to deal with that shit, too.)

  

The a/b/o dynamics are purely biological. The whole weird social bullshit you see in a lot of fics where omegas are treated like shit, considered childbearers, housewives, or breeders? Yeah, _no._ Fuck that.  Alphas aren’t automatically more assertive, dominant, or aggressive, just as omegas aren’t necessarily more submissive and shit. While it’s true that _some_ alphas are dominant in bed and _some_ omegas are more submissive, it’s not a rule. Secondary gender is like primary gender, basically. It’d be like saying all men are dominant in bed and all women are submissive- if you said that, it’d just be plain wrong. Even if sometimes it’s true, it’s not _all._

Yeah, so that weird omega sexism thing in a lot of fics is not gonna fly here. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against it if _you_ wanna write it, but I just… do _not_ like it. Omegas aren’t looked down upon or worshipped or anything. Although there have been cultures in the past who have looked down upon them (or male omegas/female alphas), nowadays, even shadowhunters are chill about it. In fact, some respected members of the clave are omegas and nobody cares. Even Valentine gives no shits. (Maybe this is optimistic- no, this is definitely optimistic, humans are way too shitty to just get over racism like that- but it’s not a subject I feel I could write well on such a scale, nor one I really want to write.) Secondary gender just isn’t a big deal- some people may have a preference, or prefer to wear scent-blockers for their own privacy, but it’s not taboo or anything. It’s just a part of life- there are probably sexist jokes and stuff, but no huge societal assholery particular to one gender.

However, you must remember some of the immortal people- vampires, Seelies, warlocks, etc. have _lived_ through some of these societies, and it’s something to consider that they may have more old-fashioned beliefs or fears about exposing their genders.

 

Scents are a thing, but it’s not like, super sensitive Teen Wolf fanfiction noses. It’s more like smelling perfume- not like that girl who wears way too much and literally bathes and/or marinates in “sweet cherry blossom”, but like, how you’re _supposed_ to wear perfume. If you get close enough, like, intentionally _smell_ them, you can smell strong emotions/their unique scent/secondary gender/heat or whatever. If they’re feeling a very, _very_ strong emotion it may be a stronger smell- such as heat, or extreme distress, whatever.

 

A mating bond is a serious thing, much like marriage. It’s sealed with a bite on both partners- not like, “bleeding everywhere, actually harmful wound”, more like a… permanent hickey, if that makes sense? Depending on how strong the emotional bond between the two is (it can develop and strengthen over time, or even wither away and weaken, even to the point of snapping) it creates an intense bond that is biological and empathetic. It can range from a sort of low, background hum to a full-blown, telepathic soulbond. It’s a deep mental and emotional connection. It has to be completely consensual on both sides to function properly. (Which has nasty implications of the Lapis/Jasper type, but will not be a plot point in this series.) Think of it sort of like a _healthy_ fusing in Steven Universe, except minus the “actually becoming a new person” part. It can also have an effect on both partner’s lifespans. For example, people very rarely survive after the death of their mate. Divorces- or the intentional dissolving of the bond- are possible but very difficult.

 

“Pack” applies to families- usually biological, although not always- and where there isn’t technically any sort of actual “pack bond” or pack hierarchy, most “packs” are very close. For example, Izzy, Alec, and later, Jace (and Max?) would be considered pack, but Maryse and Robert wouldn’t really be (although Maryse may have fooled herself into thinking she still is.) Later on, Simon, Clary, and Magnus would all be integrated gradually into “the Lightwood Pack”. Magnus, Ragnor, and Catarina would be pack to each other. Magnus and his father, his mother? Not so much. Raphael’s clan would probably be “pack”, although I doubt, as vampires, they’d appreciate the term. Simon would’ve been slowly becoming pack before he betrayed them. Camille was a false leader, but nevertheless, before some of her more foul deeds, she was probably considered pack (good pack member, not so much.) (Speaking of actual werewolves, I wonder how _that_ would work?) People can, of course, be part of multiple packs, although they tend to blend together in time.

 

 

**Here’s what I’m planning on doing for this series:**

This is going to be a series of probably non-linear fics- each will probably have 1-3 chapters, and track Magnus’s experiences- and largely, his relationship with Alec- over the years. It will also focus on his friendships- “pack”- and Alec’s relationship with his family. However, they’ll all be primarily Magnus-centric, then malec-centric.

Magnus is an omega, Alec is an alpha- getting that clear right now. Fair warning: there will be mpreg later on in the series. There will be a large range from angst to fluff to smut and back again- a nice, wide range of things to explore!

I’ll post a second chapter of this as a timeline, and I’ll update both chapters as needed to edit background information/worldbuilding and the timeline so you can see when each story happened.

I already have like, 30 parts (vaguely) planned, but it’s not all written out yet (obviously).

Happy reading, folks! Hopefully the first fic will be up soon.


	2. TIMELINE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a timeline that will be updated with every story. Both chronologically and what order they were written in (for context).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The characters/settings/universe do not belong to me, and neither does the original idea for the a/b/o universe. All credit to their rightful owners.

** Chronological timeline **

do not try me (devil, devil) - chapters 1 & 2 -  **this takes place a few centuries ago, when magnus was very young**

a drink and a dance - **current time, magnus and alec's first meeting**

soft mornings **- 1-3 years after "a drink and a dance"**

 

**Order they were written in**

do not try me (devil, devil) - chapters 1 & 2

a drink and a dance

soft mornings

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompts are always welcome!  
> come shout at me on [tumblr](https://thesweetestpandemonium.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> prompts are always welcome! 
> 
> come shout at me on [tumblr](thesweetestpandemonium.tumblr.com)


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